A/N: I'm sooooo sorry this took so long. I am continuing this story, I just got a little caught up in other projects, school, and work. Plus I somehow lost everything all the way back to chapter 6, and now I have to remember everything all over again. Although, on the plus side, I may have more of a story now...:P Back to the...adventure?

Chapter 10: Not This

As she walked away, Mardi Gras took a deep breath. Not that she'd been really freaked out, okay, so she had been, but not as much as that confrontation with Batman. Just admit it, you wanted his autograph. She shook her head and tried to ignore that thought. So what if she thought he was the awesomest super hero in the world? That didn't mean that she was awkward around him or anything. Anyway, now all she had to do was escape without Batman seeing her. I don't know why I'm so nervous about him seeing me here. Mardi Gras thought. It's not like he and Superman are going to converse about little ole me.

As she exited the building her eyes were drawn to an unusual sight. There was a man trying to push his way past several security personnel, shouting and waving a knife, a very familiar looking knife that was accompanied by an all too familiar throbbing in her head. No, it can't be! Mardi Gras thought desperately, doing as several other heroes were, running towards the man. Each step increased the throbbing like a badly out of tune band.

The only difference between her and all the other heroes that was when they stopped, she kept going. I have to get that knife out of his hands. She thought desperately, barreling by the security guards and reaching for the knife. Lifting the knife the man started to slash at her, but luckily she was ready, latching onto his forearm and wrist as it came towards her. Twisting his wrist she spun him slightly so that she was behind him and he couldn't reach her.

In the background she heard a lot of surprised murmuring from the other heroes at her sudden attack, but she knew something that they didn't, that the longer that knife was intact the more danger they were in. Yet he didn't let go, instead he held on tighter. Placing a knee in the middle of his back she wrapped her own hand around the hilt and applied pressure. She didn't want to actually harm the man since she knew he probably had no idea what he was doing, but she had to separate him from the knife. Slowly his grip started slipping and she felt confident she would win this struggle.

Abruptly she felt his hand close on her leg, and as it did the throbbing in her head increased almost exponentially. A small cry of pain escaped her lips, and with a last tug she freed the knife, unfortunately at the same time her head started to spin and the knife slipped from her grasp.

"Break it!" She gasped, falling back as the man released her leg, the world feeling as if it had become a tilt-a-whirl. Luckily, since this was Justice League headquarters, someone stomped on the knife immediately, shattering the false hilt instantly, revealing the small black device inside. Mardi Gras breathed a sigh of relief when it was also crushed a moment later. Unfortunately the headache she now faced wasn't going to be so easy to fix.

Then Mardi Gras heard many confused questions and looked up to see the man, standing utterly still and staring straight ahead. She had a pretty good idea why he was like that, but there was something she needed to verify first. She struggled to rise on her own when a green gloved hand entered her vision, offering help. Mardi Gras gratefully accepted it and was pulled to her feet by Green Arrow.

"Are you made of feathers or something?" He asked, giving her a rather disbelieving look.

"No, I'm not." She grumbled, swaying slightly.

"Are you alright?" Arrow asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I'll be fine." She answered, glancing over to see Black Canary reaching for the knife blade. "Don't!" she shouted, taking two stumbling steps towards her. "There's some sort of…." Mardi Gras fumbled for the word, "compound…on it. It's probably all over him as well. If you've touched him you'll want to wash your hands soon." She looked around to see everyone looking at her and the man with a combination of disbelief and worry. "Whatever that stuff is, it becomes caustic in less than an hour." Carefully she stumbled her way over to the man and started to search the man.

"What are you looking for?" Booster Gold asked, glancing back and forth between her and the man.

"I'm seeing if he has a sheath or not." She answered, finishing her search. "And it looks like he doesn't. This was opportunistic."

"What exactly does that mean?" Arrow asked, "And why is he like that?"

"Uh…it means that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and, um, either he must have come in contact with…uh….with the person who had it." She told him, listing as she straightened up from where she had crouched to look in the man's sock cuffs. Someone grabbed her shoulders and steadied her. "It means the one who gave that first person the knife knew that person was going to lose it and was looking for another…err….host…to carry out the…plan….or whatever."

"But why is he just staring?" Canary asked as even more heroes exited the building, attracted by the crowd.

"His mind is….sleeping….unconscious….something." Mardi Gras tried to get the point across. "He uses a form of brainwashing, hypnotism or whatever it is to kinda….overthrow their mind. This guy won't remember a thing when he wakes."

"And who is he?" a female voice asked. Mardi Gras turned to see Wonder Woman hovering behind her, but before she could even start to formulate an answer Batman spoke.

"The Angel."

Again, I am sorry for this taking so long. I know the chappy is short, but I wanted to get something up here so you all know it's still alive...somewhat. :P I may go back and edit a few minor issues in some earlier chapters (I didn't know moniker was a word, but spell check apparently doesn't recognize monkier...) It won't be necessary to re-read the story though...unless you want to.

oneredneckgoddess: Okay, so that may have been a little odd, but I hope I kinda explained. Who would give an autograph to a smart aleck? Well...besides me. Hope you're still interested in reading more of this.

alittlesummerwine: Thanks so much. Your review keeps giving me warm fuzzies. I'm glad you like Mardi Gras and I hope you're still reading this.

Poisoned Existence: Maybe not as amazing as you were hoping for, but it is another chapter. More to come too.

*NEW A/N:* Okay, so I have actually gone back and changed a few minor details (spacing and a bit that I had not entirely written due to me knowing everything). Now that I have a new computer (my other one blew up, literally) I shall try to continue this. And I just realized this was labeled Chapter 9…..

Oh, and one last thing, please forgive the goofy/stupid chapter titles. I was titling them as I uploaded, so whatever came to mind is what I titled it.